Knowing
by Soggy-Teabag
Summary: Lynsey knows about the reunion of Ste and Brendan. She had some questions, but will either of them answer?


**Knowing**

**Plot – Lynsey knows about the reunion of Ste and Brendan. She has some questions, but will they answer them? AN – Written in memory of Lynsey, in her POV. A one shot. Comments are always appreciated.**

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No one knew they were back together. No one except Lynsey. She wasn't nosy, as such. Just observant, finding out accidentally. She saw the sly looks they gave one another if they passed in the street. She saw the brief touch of hands as Ste gave Brendan his Carter and Hay bag. She heard the quiet phone conversations Brendan had in the middle of the night, his low voice sounding suggestive and husky, clearly in reaction to whoever it was on the other end of the line. She felt the lusty atmosphere when the two were around one another, whether it be at the deli, in the club, or otherwise.

Sometimes, it seemed to her, _knowing _was burden. She had to stop herself from asking Brendan how Ste was, or when he was next seeing him. It was difficult when Cheryl asked _'where's Brendan?' _for her not to reply _'probably with Ste.'_ She didn't have a problem with their budding romance...

It wasn't like Ste was going behind Doug's back... Their relationship had ended mutually back in September and they both seemed to have made rapid progress. Doug had a new man too. Lynsey hadn't seen him in person yet, but she had been the first person Doug had told. _'I met him in the deli!'_ he had said excitedly. _'He said he thought I was cute and asked for my number... And who was I to say no?' _

It was sweet actually. Truth be told, Lynsey never thought Doug and Ste fit right as boyfriends, lovers. They were far too similar, which in Lynseys opinion, boded better as being friends. Best friends as they were now. Business partners. That was why they were drawn to each other originally, she supposed. Both young, jobless, nothing to lose, trying to move on from their dark and perhaps desolate pasts. Neither had had a particularly good couple of years. Doug had been involved in dodgy dealings, lost his girlfriend, and had to put up with some very compromising situations, such as the wedding of Riley, his best friend, which he had wanted to prevent, but hadn't been able to due to Warren, throwing his weight around, or to be more specific throwing Doug around. Ste on the other hand, had been subjected to Brendan's abuse, made to put up with suffering bruises, bleeding, and snide, down-grading and self-esteem-lowering comments, wanting desperately to escape from it all, yet unable to, due to the deep tie he had with Brendan emotionally which he seemed unable to sever. Other stuff had impacted Stes past years too, according to Doug's cloudy expression when they had been talking about Doug's then-boyfriend one day at the deli, but he didn't share it with her. Lynsey wasn't one to pry either, unless it was necessary, and in that situation, she didn't think it was. All that mattered was the two had found happiness in one another.

Lynsey did wonder when everyone else was going to find out about the Ste/Brendan reunion, just for practical reasons, so she didn't do something like blab. Knowing her she'd end up telling someone like Mitzeee and the rest of the village would know before she had blinked. It wasn't like she could ask Brendan either... He didn't know that she knew. In his eyes their secret was kept between him and Stephen only. Lynsey had wondered whether Amy knew, but after a brief chat in College coffee if was clear she was none the wiser – leaving Lynsey on her own. _Brilliant._

Doug wouldn't know either, Lynsey didn't even bother asking him. For starters, he was too wrapped up in his new boyfriend, and secondly, she doubted Ste would share that information confidentially, with Doug, his ex, of all people.

So that was how Lynsey came to be sat at the top of the stairs waiting for Brendan to arrive home from the club in the early hours of the morning. She theorised he would be tired, and more open to her questions, subduing to her conquest just so he could go to bed, after a tiring day at work. She tapped her foot and curled her arms round her legs. She'd only been sat there a few minutes, and when she checked the clock, just before, it had been 2.15am. He usually came home about then; kicked off his shoes, took off his suit jacket, stomped _quietly _up the stairs, made a bit more noise which ensured _everyone else_ in the Brady household was conscious, and went to bed, promptly falling asleep and leaving everyone else wide awake.

It was 2.30am when Lynsey yawned for the third time consecutively. She was tired and had work the next day, and stretched her arms, preparing to ditch waiting for Brendan, go back upstairs and collapse onto her bed. _Brendan could wait._ She stood from her position sat on the stairs, when she heard a key in the lock. _Oh good. He's decided to show his face_. Lynsey was just about to march down their and have it out with him, when she heard a suggestive laugh. It wasn't Brendan's There was the sound of stumbling - probably over her shoes left a little away from the doormat – and more laughing.

"Shhhhhh" someone said. "They're all asleep so we have to be quiet, okay?" Brendan's voice.

"Okay Bren..." A hiccup then and more shushing. It sounded like... Ste. _Ste? _

"I told ye we could come here no hassle, didn't I?" Brendan was teasing him.

"Mmm."

The shuffling of clothes. Two silhouettes moulding as one. Lips smacking together. A groan.

Okay. Perhaps now wasn't the best of times to speak to Brendan Lynsey figured. Sitting there listening to them kiss was bordering on perversion for her. Instead she begrudgingly made her way to her room, quietly shutting the door and leaving the two lovers to it.

Lynsey didn't see Brendan til the following afternoon, as he was sat watching the TV on what Lynsey assumed was his night off. Lynsey gathered, that usually, when Brendan wasn't working, he spent his spare time with Ste. They hadn't had a tiff had they? Brendan didn't look to be paying much attention to the fuzz of the television... He seemed more concerned in biting his thumb nail agitatedly and running his nervous fingers through his gelled hair. Just as Lynsey was contemplating sitting next to him on the sofa, and coercing him nito spilling what was wrong, his phone rang. He answered it with two rings, smiling after looking at the caller ID. Brendan _NEVER_ smiled. Unless it was intimidation tactics. Lynsey didn't know whether to be happy for him or concerned.

"Hello... No, one sec..."- He glanced at Lynsey stood in the kitchen, clearly listening to his conversation with interest. "I'm gonna take this into my room." Lynsey had a funny feeling she knew who was at the other end of the phone. She stared as Brendan galloped up the stairs, phone still attached to his ear, and a look of anticipation in his eyes. It looked like Lynsey wasn't going to speak to him then either. Instead, she followed him up the stairs, pausing by Brendan's door for a moment, just to see if her suspicions were correct.

"Yes, Stephen, the club tonight?..." _ STEPHEN. _

"No..."- Brendan laughed - "It's not just so I can get my leg over..."

"Okay... Text me."

"Yeah, I know... Okay, fine... I, iloveyoutoo, okay?"

So she was right. Brendan was talking to Ste. Now this was confirmed, she had no other reason to be standing outside Brendan's bedroom door eaves-dropping so she hastily made her way downstairs, slipping on her shoes and heading off to Chester to do some shopping.

On the way back from Price Slice Lynsey had a brainwave. Clearly targeting Brendan as the answerer of her questions was not working for her, so why not try Ste? He was far more laid back than Brendan – it was hard not to be- and he was a nice boy to talk to anyway. She wandered into the empty deli – It was the middle of the afternoon- laden with shopping bags, slopping them down onto the sofa, then perching on it herself as Ste emerged out of the pantry, obviously hearing her manly grunts as she rid her hands of the heavy shopping.

"Hiya" Ste greeted coming out from behind the counter and sitting on the coffee table in front of her. "You look knackered Lyns. Hard core shopping was it?"

Lynsey nodded, about to ask Ste for a word when...

"I'll get ya a smoothie. On the house." Ste got up and went back behind the worktop, getting out the blender and some milk.

"Aw thanks. Look, I've been meaning-"

"What flavour?" Ste asked, staring intently at the fruit bowl in front of him.

"I don't really mind. Look, I was wonde-"

"How about raspberry? You look like a raspberry kinda girl..." Ste smiled at her knowingly.

"Yeah, okay, but can we talk?"

"Sure." Ste said airily. He pointed at the blender. "I'll put some strawberries in too... And a banana.. Makes it creamy." He licked his lips. Lynsey sighed. Ste was a sweet thing really, but he had the attention span of a gold fish. With amnesia.

She clasped her hands in front of her and stared at the counter top.

"Okay" Lynsey said. "What I've been meaning to ask you is... well I'm not nosy right but-"

Lynsey looked up to see Ste cutting strawberries methodically, concentrating hard and not seeming to pay much attention to her.

"I was wondering if you'd be interested in chopping your testicles off for the great of good."

"Mmmhmm" Came Ste reply as he loaded the strawberries into the blender, then scooped in some raspberries.

"Are you listening to me?" Lynsey asked half-heartedly. It was like talking to a brick.

"Sorry Lyns... We'll have a chat once I've made your smoothie, yeah?" Ste smiled apologetically at her, peeling a banana at the same time.

Oh_, great heavens._

Lynsey was losing the will to live. She watched patiently as Ste added the cut up banana, some more raspberries, milk and a dollop of ice cream. He put on the lid on the blender and turned it on, humming tunelessly to himself as he held the lid on. Clearly he had had experience with exploding blenders before. Ste turned off the blender and got out a large Carter and Hay clear cup, pouring in the mixture, adding and umbrella, green straw – sticking it through a strawberry - and a lid, poking the straw through the opening at the top.

He smiled at Lynsey again, and sidled over with the smoothie, looking proud of himself and his artistic abilities. The smoothie looked eye-wateringly good. It was a light, creamy pink colour, and the ice cream had made it thick too.

"Here y'ar." he said, handing her the drink. "So what did you wanna talk about then?"

Lynsey took a sip off the smoothie – it was too tempting to wait. "Mmmmmmm." She sighed appreciatively. It was cold and tangy and tasty and lovely. She continued to drink for a while, evoking a laugh from Ste at her enthusiasm towards the smoothie."Well. I just wanted to say, I know about you and-"

Just then the door went and in came Doug, heaving several heavy looking shopping bags, much like Lynsey had only a while earlier.

_'Oh Lord' _Lynsey thought. _'I give up.' _

She could not _catch a break._

Doug dropped the bags on the floor and sighed in relief.

"Hiya Doug." said Ste, beamingat him.

"Hey guys" Doug said, looking a little out of puff and tired.

Lynsey smiled thinly, then looked back at Ste.

"So you were saying Lyns?" Ste was saying to her, listening intently now and staring at her with wide eyes.

Lynsey looked up to see Doug standing listening to their conversation too. She inwardly groaned. This chat was going to have to wait. She didn't want to bring the up _current boyfriend_, in front of _the ex_.

"You know what?" Lynsey indicated the smoothie. "Nice smoothie! Our chat can wait, Ste. See you guys."

And before she knew it, she had picked up her price slice bags, her smoothie and excited the shop, leaving Doug to say "was it something I said?"

Lynsey found herself walking briskly back to the flat, inwardly cursing her American friend. She had a thing for timing, _clearly._

Later that evening, as Lynsey sat in her Pjs, hair wet from being freshly washing, and face make-up free, she received a text:

From: Cheryl

_Cum 2 club. Great party and Ur drinks will be on the house, of course! C x _

Lynsey looked up at the dull as shit safari programme she was watching and after decing her plan of action very quickly headed upstairs, emerging 20 minutes later dolled up and ready to hit ChezChez. Clubs weren't normally her sort of scene, but of late she hadn't really had much luck with men (or at all, really), and if she had any luck, Brendan might be there, meaning she could corner him. She walked as quickly as her high shoes would allow and headed on up to the bar where Chez was sat, Lynseys favourite drink – tia maria, with a dash of lemon, slice of lime and ice – ready and waiting next to her.

"Lynsey!" Cheryl greeted excitedly, clearly having had a few herself. "You took _ages_!"

Lynsey teetered over, careful not to fall on her face, and kissed Cheryl on the cheek.

"Is Bren in?" She asked casually. She figured she'd speak to Brendan _first,_ put her mind at rest, and spend the rest of the night with Cheryl. Being a nurse, she wasn't supposed to be a massive drinker, but 'sod it' she thought, she didn't have work the next day and decided determinedly she deserved a drink.

"Yeah, I think he's in the offfisheee. He might have commpany though" Cheryl slurred, sucking on what looked like neat vodka, unless it was water... which Lynsey highly doubted .

"Back in a minute Chez" she said and marched – more like wobbled – her way over to the office, finding the door closed.

She knocked once, and when she got no reply, opened the door, baffled by what she saw.

Brendan was sat behind the desk - Ste perched on his lap, his arms around his neck and their mouths attached.

As soon as she entered they sprung apart, Ste wobbling a little, nearly falling from his lovers lap – if it wasn't for Brendan's firm grip around his waist. Lynsey noticed the nearly empty bottle of whisky on the desk. Clearly Cheryl was the only one who had drunk too much.

Ste stood up a little unsteadily from Brendan's lap, smiling widely at Lynsey, as she stood gaping. Brendan himself stood up too, holding Stes elbow to prevent him from falling. _Cute._

"Soz Lyns. We were just getting out of here... any ways..." He turned and gave Brendan a devilish wink.

"I uh. Okay." Lynsey stood back as they walked past her, Brendan giving her a sheeping and out-of-character sheepish smile and then Stes bum a smack as they passed through the office door.

They walked off, leaving Lynsey to walk back to Cheryl, scowling.

"Wass up with you, face achee?" Cheryl asked merrily. "Turn that smile upside do- no wait turn that _frown_ upside down."

"Your brother!" Lynsey said, turning to Cheryl exasperated.

"He's basically your brother too!" Cheryl said back in an accusatory tone. There was a pause for a second before Cheryl asked curiously. "What's he done?"

Lynsey sighed. "Right well... I've been wondering for a while whether him and Ste are you know... This may come as a shock for you but they're seeing each other... And I just wanted to know if it was secret-"

Cheryl pointed suddenly. Lynsey looked over to see Brendan and Ste kissing near the railings by the stairs. Lynseys eyes widened.

"I think_, that, _answers your question. And as for me knowing... I've known for _agessssss_... I just thought I was the only one to know so..."

Lynsey looked at Cheryl in horror and disbelief. She had known all this time when Lynsey had made a conscious effort not to mention Ste and Brendan in the same sentence for about a month to her. Or anyone really._ Dear god. _Lynsey sighed in anguish, picked up her drink and took a sip.

_Note to self. Stop knowing stuff you shouldn't._

**_Finis_**


End file.
